ona15: a beginner's guide to podcasting

A Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting

Tiffany Campbell, WBUR, @tiffanycampbellMichael O’Connell, It’s All Journalism, @frolixmike

1:30pm - 2:30pm | #ona15pcast1

an introduction to the tech ....

*A shopping list compiled by Michael can be found in our resources handout.

@frolixmike / #ona15pcast1

5 easy steps to launch!

The first barrier all new podcasters encounter is a technical one — How do you get people to hear your podcast? That barrier is actually very low. It takes five easy steps to launch a podcast.


step 1: record

To record your first podcast, you’ll need microphones, headphones, a digital recorder or laptop with a recording program to create an MP3 file.


step 2: edit

Once you’ve uploaded your MP3 recording, you’ll need to open it in an editing program, such as Audacity, to edit the interview and add music, an intro and an outro.


step 3: post

Upload your edited MP3 file website server. You can use a hosting service such as Blubrry, PodBean, Libsyn or SoundCloud. Send your RSS feed to iTunes.


step 4: promote

Once you’ve posted your podcast, share it out on social media. Services like SoundCloud or Stitcher provide an embeddable player you can put on your website.


step 5: repeat

A single piece of online audio does not make a podcast. You need to post regularly to build your audience. This applies to limited run podcasts as well.


posting a podcast is easy, but ...


… creating content is hard!

The things that have the greatest impact on creating a successful podcast are not always the things you consider first: Who is your audience? What is your theme? What do you want to say? How much will the podcast cost in time and money?


so, you want to make a great podcast …

@tiffanycampbell / #ona15pcast1

find your NICHE ...

“… podcasts I love the most use their host(s) as a tourguide to a world or subculture, bringing me along and introducing me to things or people I don't know.”

- Caitlin Thompson, Acast


“As a longtime radio producer, I have found podcasts to be liberating … People aren't necessarily listening to your show because they love your show, they're listening to your show because it's on the radio, and that's what's on. With podcasting, you know that whoever is listening is there because they want to hear your show, and they're into what you're doing. So I think it frees you from some concerns about trying to appeal to everyone.”

-Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar


find obsessions; think about mood

“Podcasts seem to be uniquely suited to pair with mood and situation - like workout music or party music - and for life experiences that can be all -consuming, like parenting.”


success looks like ...

“Success is a show that grows virally. Most of the ways that podcasts have found an audience is by using a huge platform of a network or a radio station, and/or logrolling other shows. The Ira Effect is real, but it's also an indication that shows will continue to attract the same kind of audiences - in effect cannibalizing current audiences or deepening listening.”



find your passionate audience

“Dear Sugar Radio isn't going to be for everyone, it's asking the listener to take on some pretty heavy emotional stuff. But the people who do like it really like it … listening to a podcast is an individual choice, the people who listen to us are people who deeply appreciate the content.”

- Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar


on (not) finding audience

“It's a mistake to rely on your audience to find you … Thinking of who your audience could be, or who they will be, should be one of the first steps in creating any content … Will you be part of a podcast collective? Will you use the social media that that audience is using to drum up listeners?”

- Teresa Gorman, AIR


more audience, please

“Maybe just as important as the idea of a podcast is defining who the target audience is for it. Who needs this? Who wants it? Why will they listen? … And once you've defined the audience, then you can go out and find them. Literally - make a list of the people who would want your podcast.”

- Eric Athas, NPR


long(er) shelf life, time shifted consumption

“Many of the most successful podcasts have longer shelf lives that can be discovered on a different timeline, like the best of Netflix for audio. Think about topics that will retain relevance over time or have an indefinite shelf life (fiction podcasts or parenting like ‘The Longest Shortest Time’ or ‘Call Your Girlfriend’) Newsy or time-sensitive topics have less time to get discovered and be consumed later.”


consider your structure

“Podcasts generally break down into three buckets: the more straightforward ‘host and interview’ structure (think, WTF with Marc Maron); more narrative story (think, Serial); or more conversational or humorous (think, Call your Girlfriend)”


don’t be afraid to do a deep dive

“A popup podcast WBUR recently tried – ‘eavesdropping on a conversation’ with two reporters each day during the Boston Marathon bombing trial. No host, just reporters debriefing like they might do in a bar after work.”


freedom from format

“… freedom from a radio clock (and traditional radio advertisers/underwriters) means creators can play with length/concept/topics in ways that we haven't even fully explored. Song Exploder is a great example of a show that wouldn't remotely function on radio - it's too short, there's not enough host presence, the narrative is linear but not produced, and yet - it's magical.”



why podcast?

“For an individual, especially if you're just starting out, a podcast could be an excellent vehicle for training yourself, getting your name out, and helping you land jobs. Could a podcast be the new news clip for young journalists? Use it as a proof of concept for your talent, your ideas, your initiative. “

-Teresa Gorman, AIR


important work comes after audio

“From the editing and producing side … to the getting the podcast posted and plugged on the relevant channels there is a lot of post recording work I do on a podcast [versus] the live show … more work before air with pre-interviews and pre-records and the like.”

-Samuel Hansen, Podcast Producer ACMEScience.com and RelPrime.com


podcasts are more intimate than radio

“I usually imagine the radio listener [hearing through speakers] - in the car, in their kitchen, wherever - whereas I imagine the podcast listener hearing audio through earbuds on their phone. … I think about this when I'm editing, because I think podcast-listening behavior can lend itself to longer form, more conversational, slightly more meandering types of content. Someone chatting away in your ear.”

- Lisa Tobin, Dear Sugar


so you’ve uploaded your podcast ...

Now the work begins.


distribution

Soundcloud; newsletters; iTunes; social media; websites. Do not underestimate the importance of a clean, clear, webpage with information of what your podcast is about so people can FIND it. Bonus points for visuals. Examples: Serial, Call Your Girlfriend


takeaway: audio is already hard to find, don’t make it any harder


promotion

Just like building any audience online: Social media; Stitcher, iTunes; newsletters; podcast networks; promotion within other podcasts; related content; other platforms like YouTube; partnerships; post show notes; transcripts; blog; headlines; publish regularly/often; r/podcasts on Reddit; submit to a podcast directory


and more promotion

Two important things to learn from Serial: power of web pages; power of spinoffshttp://serialpodcast.org/http://undisclosed-podcast.com/


analytics

Can be complicated: subscribers vs. downloads; track your RSS feed, not third party metrics (e.g. iTunes); Podtrac or Blubrry; LibSyn. True ‘listening’ metrics still elusive.


monetization

To start, focus on basics: create audience/traffic; mention partner/product


… now that the content is sorted ...

hardest thing about podcasting?

“The hardest thing about any creative endeavor is being OK with failing in public. You have to know to a certain extent that things will not be quite as amazing at first as you want them to be, but you still have to share it with people.”

- Robert Higgs, 10 Questions We Always Ask


be unique

“Don’t podcast to hear your own voice. … Make your show unique, but have a purpose, and a clear picture of your audience. Don’t hesitate to be creative and make your show a personal expression of your message or talents.”

- Jennifer Crawford, The JellyVision Show


real conversations

“The most rewarding part for me is getting the privilege to have a real conversation with people I respect and admire. The byproduct of that is a super cool network of people that had developed over time.

- Jennifer Crawford, The JellyVision Show


inspiration! resources!

Find them here: http://bit.ly/1Jqrj9vSlides: http://bit.ly/1YBWVEvPodcast: http://bit.ly/1ix4E5N

Find Tiffany: @tiffanycampbell Find Michael: @frolixmike

http://bit.ly/1YBWVEv

ona15: a beginner's guide to podcasting

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